


(I'll be) Anything You Need

by ElStark



Series: Sterek Tumblr Ficlets [13]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Insecure Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Pining Derek, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fill, set before season 3A
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 13:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7759615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElStark/pseuds/ElStark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek smiled. A small, little thing that barely betrayed the fondness that he felt for the person in front of him. But fondness, maybe wasn’t the right word. There was that, and so much more. Too much. And Derek battled a war with his wolf every day and every instant he spent with Stiles, since the moment he’d caught his scent that day in the woods, barely a year ago.</p><p>Because, it was him. And he knew it would feel- it felt right. But it wasn’t the right time.</p><p>Stiles was too young and still figuring out who he was and Derek… well, he was trying to figure out who he was without all the people he’d loved most his entire life.</p><p>So, yeah, it wasn’t the right time, not now. Not with everything that happened and was going on.</p><p>But he'd wait.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(I'll be) Anything You Need

**Author's Note:**

  * For [queerlytired](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerlytired/gifts).



“How have you made it this long without someone throwing you out an airlock or something?”

Stiles paused from where he was grinding a mix of herbs that theoretically would give a boost to the umpteenth tracking spell that hopefully would tell them where Erica and Boyd were, and that was making Derek sneeze every two seconds. “Well,” he started, keeping his eyes down, causing for the short hair of his buzz cut to gleam in the lamplight. "I was a really useful asset since when I was really young.“

Derek raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah.” Stiles replied to Derek’s silent sarcasm. "At playtime in kindergarten I always managed to get the shiny blue Hot Wheels car with the purple flames on its sides that Scott loved so much, we were supposed to share it with the other kids, the teacher even made a rota for the toys that we liked most, the shiny blue car being one of them. But when it wasn’t mine of Scott’s turn, I’d go to the kid that had it and basically talk him to death, until he would move away and leave the car behind.“

Derek couldn’t help the huff of laughter that escaped him. It really, wasn’t that hard to imagine.

Stiles looked his way with a grin and continued, "Then, in middle school, during tests, I was pretty much the one with all the right answers.”

“You made people copy your test?” Derek asked, his face, he was sure, calling bullshit all over.

“In middle school yeah,” Stiles nodded, with a slight faraway look on his face, “but then I realised it didn’t make me popular or make me more friends or anything, they just used me. So after I stopped and told anyone that asked to kiss my ass.” He looked at Derek with the asshole smirk that he usually whipped out when he knew he’d done something right and felt cocky about it, and that always made Derek think that it looked dumb but made him always smile nonetheless.

So, Derek smiled. A small, little thing that barely betrayed the fondness that he felt for the person in front of him. But fondness, maybe wasn’t the right word. There was _that,_ and so much more. _Too_ _much_. And Derek battled a war with his wolf every day and every instant he spent with Stiles, since the moment he’d caught his scent that day in the woods, barely a year ago.

Because, it was _him_. And he knew it would feel- it _felt_ right. But it wasn’t the right time.

Stiles was too young and still figuring out who he was and Derek… well, he was trying to figure out who he was without all the people he’d loved most his entire life.

So, yeah, it wasn’t the right time, not now. Not with everything that happened and was going on.

But he'd wait.

His smile dropped when he caught Stiles’ scent going funny, “And,” Stiles was saying. “When Scott got bit, I’m the one that always has a plan, should I remind you. Someone could call my plans genius in their idiocy. Like, they’re so clever that it’s stupid. Plus, I’m a spark, so that’s useful, and I don’t care what you say but I’m good with the bat too, I mean-”

“Stiles stop,” Derek frowned when Stiles’ chatter had increased in speed along with his heart rate. “I know all of this.” he said calmly.

Stiles shrugged. “You asked.”

Derek’s frown deepened. “What?" 

"When you asked why didn’t someone throw me away, since I talk too much or whatever. I’m useful, that’s why.”

It was like Stiles had shoved a knife into his gut and twisted it.

 _Did he really think-_ “I was just kidding. I didn’t mean it, not really.”

Stiles shrugged again, going back to grinding more herbs.

All this time, when Stiles had told him all the stuff that he did, he had been _selling_ himself, like it was a fucking job interview, _why Derek should keep him around_. Because he was _useful_.

He didn’t know who was more heartbroken, him or his wolf, for doing such a poor job at making his mate feeling appreciated.

But if it meant something, it was that Derek was nowhere near able to be the person he wanted to be.

And Stiles was still fighting his own insecurities and Derek could do nothing about them but try to be the voice that fought them.

“You helped me, you’re doing that now too.” He said quietly, “No one did since Laura died. And you don’t have to, I know you know that. But you just do, because you’re good.”

Stiles’ heart fluttered. And he looked up, eyes slightly wide.

“Thank you.” Derek said softly, “for everything.”

There would be a time, somewhere in the future when Derek  would be slightly annoyed with Stiles’ constant chatter and he’d groan the same opening sentence, “How have you made it this long without someone throwing you out an airlock or something?” and Stiles would look his way with a smirk and reply with,

“Mostly charm and looks, but also determination” and wink, knowing full well that all he said was true and not feeling like he had to prove himself anymore. Not to Derek at least.

Derek couldn’t wait for that, but for now, he would wait and be everything Stiles needed when he needed it.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://atticuos.tumblr.com/)


End file.
